AS AWARD-WINNING LABEL SCAMP & DUDE LAUNCHES WITH JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS, WE MEET THE BRAND’S INSPIRING FOUNDER JO TUTCHENER-SHARP TO FIND OUT ABOUT ITS SUPERPOWER APPEAL
‘The moment when I came around in intensive care, I was literally the happiest person on the planet,’ says Jo Tutchener-Sharp, the 43-year-old founder of Scamp & Dude and mother of boys Sonny, seven, and Jude, four. ‘I had absolute euphoria that I’d made it. I promised myself if I survived I would do something to help people.’
We’re sitting in the basement of Jo’s bijou shop in Highgate, London, on the hottest day of the year. Upstairs, there’s a steady stream of customers dropping in to stock up on her signature zingy leopard-print T-shirts, jumpsuits and dresses for holiday season. Everyone is in a good mood, but then Scamp & Dude is the ultimate feel-good label – one that, as well as looking and feeling great, is able to offer hope and empowerment for its customers.
It’s nearly four years since Jo, a former PR director, suffered a life-threatening brain haemorrhage which changed the course of her life. ‘I knew then that I had this lump and I didn’t know if it was cancerous or a tumour. Either way it was bad,’ she says. ‘When you nearly die, you assess your life and you think: if this is the end, am I happy with how I’ve lived it? I started worrying about people who don’t have this support network and I wanted to help those people. I was thinking about kids who had to be separated when their parents are ill. I thought what I’d really like to give them is a superhero to watch over them. That was the very start of it.’
“People love the fact there’s a story behind the brand. We are about so much more than just selling clothes”
By March 2015, less than three months after surviving surgery, Jo had registered the company name, Scamp & Dude – a nod to her two sons: Scamp, a nickname for Sonny, and Dude, rhyming with Jude. Her first product, the tactile Superhero Sleep Buddies (cushions featuring a pouch for a photo of a loved one) was designed to quite literally soften the blow when a child was separated from a loved one through illness. For every one sold, Jo donated another to a child separated from their loved ones due to illness, too.
After instant success, Jo went about adding to the Scamp & Dude collection, next creating T-shirts featuring the now famous slogan ‘A superhero has my back’ as well as a Superpower Lightning Button, designed to help give kids – whether sick themselves, dealing with a poorly loved one or in any situation in life requiring extra bravery – a burst of special superpower when required.
Now, a curated selection of Scamp & Dude’s bestsellers, including the signature leopard-print sweatshirts, leggings, rompers and swag bags, will be available at John Lewis & Partners. ‘We’ve also created an exclusive navy-and-yellow print especially for John Lewis & Partners – it’s the first time the women’s, babies’ and kids’ collections will all be available in one place together nationwide, which is fantastic,’ says Jo.
Jo is bubbling with excitement about bringing Scamp & Dude to John Lewis & Partners. ‘Our customers have big hearts, just like the John Lewis & Partners customer. Both want more from a brand than something that just looks cool,’ says Jo. ‘It’s the perfect fit. I love the fact that people will be able to see and touch the clothes around the country.’
“We’ve created an exclusive navy-and-yellow print especially for John Lewis & Partners”
‘This is the first time we have launched a brand for children and adults, and we are so excited about doing it with Scamp & Dude,’ says Caroline Bettis, Partner & Head of Childrenswear Buying. ‘The products are gorgeous and the concept behind Jo’s brand is brilliant – we can’t wait to bring more children across the nation supercharged strength, courage and bravery with her fantastic collection.’
It’s not hard to see how the brand has garnered a devout and loyal following, from celebrity fans to influencers. But it’s ordinary families, affected by loss and illness, who have become Jo’s main, and most cherished, customers. ‘People love the fact there’s a story behind the brand. We are about so much more than just selling clothes,’ says Jo.
For Jo, it’s the constant stream of feedback she gets from customers that continues to spur her on. There are emails, videos and phone calls from happy customers frequently.
‘One of the best moments of my whole career was when the mum of a little boy, who has cerebral palsy, tagged me in an Instagram video in which he was trying to do an unaided walk,’ Jo recalls. ‘He put his walker to one side and then pressed his superpower button and then he was off on his walk. I was just sobbing.’
